Time Stands Still
by AlexanderCastle
Summary: Season 5 finale 'fic based on something said by Stana herself in an interview during the hiatus between S5 and S6. Before Kate can commit to a possible future with Richard Castle, she has a few things that she has to tell him first. More characters than just the four mentioned. Now a series of one-shots!
1. Time Stands Still

**I've been around fanfiction for a while, but until now I've never actually posted anything here. I really hope you enjoy this.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I would like to, I do not own Castle.**

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**Time Stands Still - A Castle One-shot**

"So whatever happens, and whatever you decide… Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"  
Time stood still for Detective Kate Beckett. She stared at her kneeling boyfriend, speechless. She had been expecting him to break up with her, not to propose to her. And she certainly didn't expect him to sound to sound so serious about it when he asked her what was basically the most important thing he would ever ask her (although, now that she thought about it, why the hell didn't she expect it? It was a serious question, after all!). The funny thing was, she thought that she already knew, had probably always known, exactly what her answer was going to be. But first she had to find out his reaction to the two things she absolutely had to say to him. "Kate…"  
At last, she found her voice. "Rick. Before I give you my answer, before I tell you whether I can agree to spend the rest of my life with you or not, there are two things that you really need to know. Once I've told you what they are, if you're still sure that you want to marry me, and then I'll give you my answer" she said simply.  
He merely nodded. "What's the first thing?"  
"I got the job".  
Unsurprised, he nodded. "I knew you would, Kate. But that doesn't change a thing. I didn't propose to you to force you to stay in New York. I proposed to you because I can't imagine my life without you anymore. Because I am head over heels in love with you, and I want to make sure that the entire world knows the depth of my feelings for you. Because... well, I want to spend as much time as I can showing you how extraordinary you really, truly are. Because... well, when I think about my future, there's only one person I want beside me, and that person is you, Kate. Because I know that you'll always have my back, just like I'll always have yours. Because whether you take the job or not doesn't matter to me in the slightest, only that you're happy"  
She could feel her heart skip a beat, and she knew that he was telling the truth. _God, how could she ever have doubted him?_ "I see. But... I'm going to turn the job down, Rick. My mind has finally realized what my heart has been trying to tell me all along. New York... it's where I belong. The 12th Precinct is my home. And you, Richard Castle, the ruggedly-handsome millionaire author who basically forced your way into my life five years ago… You are my best friend, my partner, and my boyfriend, and you have no idea how much I have enjoyed the past five years with you. Without you working with me… well, it's like I said when you offered to stop shadowing me after I shot Coonan the day we realized that he was responsible for killing my mother. I have a hard job, Castle, and you make it just that much more fun. I'd be a fool to give that up. Besides, I am insanely in love with you. I'm not going anywhere".  
He smiled at her, meeting her hazel eyes with his own intense blue ones. "I understand. And, for the record? The feeling's mutual. God, Kate, I feel like I'm falling in love with you more and more every day that goes by. So, anyway... What's the second thing you need to tell me?"  
She sighed. Luckily for her, he had taken the first piece of news easier than she had expected him to. _Now to see how he takes the second..._ "Do you remember that time that you mentioned you were worried about the possibility that you might not be able to have children any more, and, when I asked you about whether you actually did want more kids or not, you said you'd like to have the opportunity to?"  
He nodded briefly, before gesturing for her to continue. She hesitated, not really sure whether he would accept what she was about to say or not, though she knew that she didn't want to drag this out any longer than was really necessary, and it was probably easier to say it now, just after she found out about the pregnancy, than it would be once she got everything figured out. "Well, needless to say that any worries you may or may not have had were completely unfounded. Castle… I'm pregnant".  
His mouth dropped open. "Are… Are you sure?"  
She forced a smile. "Pretty damn sure, Rick. You're going to be a father again".  
As soon as she had spoken those words, he stood and moved to her, taking her face in his hands and enveloping her lips in a passionate kiss. A kiss, that, had she been standing, would have probably made her knees buckle. "A baby. You're pregnant. Wow. Just... thank you, Kate. You have no idea how much I wanted to have this opportunity with you" he whispered.  
"I want this opportunity with you too, Rick. And there's no-one I'd rather have it with"  
He smiled at her, pulling the diamond ring from his pocket one more time. "So with you staying in New York for good, and pregnant with my child, my question still stands. And this time, I really do want an answer. Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you marry me?"  
That's when she knew that she had made the right decision when she decided to stay in New York. His response to the news she had shared with him, as well as the fact that he still wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, had only served to prove that. "Richard Edgar Castle… Of course I will!"  
He slid the ring onto her left ring finger and leaned in again, the two of them sealing their engagement with one last passionate kiss. This time, it was Kate who pulled away. "Let's go home, Rick. We have an engagement to celebrate…"

**This 'fic was always intended as a one-shot, so I'm marking it as complete for the time being, though I might extend it at some future date.**


	2. Worth Waiting For

**So due to popular requests for a second part... Here you go.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle.**

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Kate sighed in relief as she sank into the soft leather of the couch in her fiancé's loft apartment. Catching herself staring at the ring that now adorned her left ring finger; she couldn't help but marvel at how quickly her life had taken a turn for the better. It was only ten hours ago that she was worried about the future of her relationship, whether she and Rick were actually going to make it, and considering moving to DC for a job. Now she was engaged to the love of her life, pregnant, and staying in New York for good. As Rick pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled her father's number, she leaned forward, picking up her book from where she had left it on the table in front of her, and began reading.

-Richard Castle-

"Hello?"

The writer smiled slightly as he heard his fiancée's father's voice on the other end of the line. "Jim. Hi, it's Rick Castle".

"Hi Rick. What can I do for you?" his almost-father-in-law asked from the other end of the line.

"I was wondering if you might be free tonight at around 7" Rick replied calmly.

"Hang on, let me check".

There was a short pause before Jim responded. "Yeah, I am. Is something up?"

As much as Rick wanted to tell Kate's father, he knew he had to keep their news a secret, at least until that night. "Kate and I talked things over a couple of minutes ago, and the two of us have a few announcements to make. We were wondering if you would join us at the loft for dinner tonight. My mother will be there, as will, hopefully, Alexis."

"Yeah, I'll see you then".

Rick smiled. "Great, thank you so much. We'll see you at 7".

As he hung up, Kate paused in the middle of the book she was reading and glanced over at him. "Should I assume he's going to be able to make it?" she queried.

Rick grinned, replying "He'll be here."

Kate nodded and went back to the book she was reading as her fiancé quickly tapped in another number, immensely grateful for the fact that Alexis still had a couple more days to go before she left for Costa Rica. "Dad?"

Rick's smile widened as soon as he heard his teenage daughter's voice. "Hi, pumpkin. Kate and I were just wondering if you were free tonight at around 7."

Alexis considered the question. "I do have to finish getting ready for the trip to Costa Rica, but that can wait until tomorrow. What's going on?"

"Kate and I have a couple of announcements to make. We're probably going to meet the guys for lunch tomorrow to tell them, but we wanted your grandmother, her father, and you to be the first ones to find out".

He could almost hear the surprise in his daughter's voice. "Really?"

"Really. We're having dinner at the loft tonight; we'll be making the announcements there. See you there?"

When his daughter responded, there was a certain eagerness to her voice. "Yeah, dad. I'll be there. I'm looking forward to it now".

"Great. See you at 7."

**~At 7 that night~**

There was a knock on the door, and Rick opened it, greeting the older man that stood on the other side. "Good to see you again, Jim".

"You too, Rick".

The writer stepped to the side, allowing the older man to enter. As he did so, Kate, who was standing in the kitchen talking to Martha, came walking over, embracing her father. "Good to see you again so soon, dad" she said quietly.

"Good to see you too, Katie. Now, are you going to tell me what all this is about or are you going to make me guess?"

"We want to wait until Alexis gets here to share our news, but, as Rick told you before, we talked things over. I think I made the right choice under the circumstances".

"And that choice would be… what, exactly?"

Kate chuckled. "Sorry, Dad, but you'll have to wait until Alexis is here to find that out. Why don't you take a seat? Dinner should be ready soon".

Following Jim's arrival, it was only a couple of minutes longer before Alexis showed up. Rick embraced his daughter before moving into the kitchen to finish the dinner preparations, leaving Kate to talk with the younger Castle. "What's going on, Kate?" Alexis queried.

Before answering, Kate turned and looked towards Rick, who had just taken the lasagne out of the oven. Feeling her eyes upon him, he looked up and in her direction, smiling reassuringly at her. She could see the pure, unbridled, joy and love shining in his sapphire eyes, and her heart beat faster as everything finally sank in. She was pregnant, they were engaged, and she had decided that the possibility of a life with him was far more important to her than the possibility of a career with the FBI. Far more important. At last, she managed to find the right words to give the reply she wanted to without giving too much away. "Good things, Alexis. Very good things indeed".

The red-haired girl smiled and grinned at the detective. "I'm glad. You make my dad happier than he has been for years, Kate. Honestly, I don't know what he'd do without you".

Kate smiled softly. "I don't know what I'd do without him either, Alexis. I've never felt about anyone else the way I do about him. I'm not proud of the fact that it took me so long to realize how I felt about him, but now I know, and I'm never going to let him forget how much I love him".

"That's all I needed to hear" Alexis said softly, before walking towards the table to join Jim and her grandmother.

Rick finished dishing the lasagne onto five plates before turning to Kate. "Could you help me serve these, please?"

His fiancée nodded. "Gladly".

**~A couple of minutes later~**

Kate took another bite of her lasagne. "This is so good".

"I agree".

Jim set his fork down beside his plate and took a sip of his cider. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but on the phone earlier Rick mentioned that the two of you have news. So… what is it?"

Rick and Kate glanced at each other briefly before Kate spoke again. "Three things. Firstly… I've been offered a job with the Attorney General's office in DC. I'd have access to government resources and technology, not to mention the security access. However… Rick and I have talked it over, and I've made the decision not to take the job (though I was already leaning towards that option anyway). My life, my family, my friends… I have everything I need right here in New York. This is where I belong, and leaving for a job that, in all likelihood, I'd probably hate, would be the second biggest mistake I've ever made".

"The second biggest? What was the biggest mistake you've ever made, if you don't mind me asking?" queried Alexis.

Rick squeezed Kate's hand gently, and the detective smiled warmly at him before returning her eyes to the red-haired teenager. "Not telling Rick how I feel about him sooner" the detective replied.

Kate caught her father's approving nod. "Anyway, the second thing… After I told Rick that I wasn't going to take the job, he asked me to marry him. And… I said yes".

She eased her hand free of her fiancé's and held it up, revealing the engagement ring on her left ring finger. "And the third thing is… I'm pregnant".

As their family congratulated them, Kate felt her fiancé's arm slip around her waist and pull her close, and she went easily, nuzzling into his side. "You're going to be a great mother, Kate. I know you will" he said softly.

She looked up into his brilliant sapphire eyes, placing a soft kiss to his cheek. "Thank you. And you're going to be a great father. You already are with Alexis, it's only natural that you'll be great with any children we have as well" she replied.

Her fiancé smiled warmly at her. "Together, Kate, we can handle anything life throws at us. I know we can".

"I love you".

"I love you too, Kate… Move in with me?"

"Yes".

**~The next day~**

"So, bro, you said there was something the two of you wanted to share with us?"

Kate and Rick smiled at each other before Kate responded. "Remember the Dale Tanner case? After we wrapped the case up, Agent Stack told me about a job opening with the Attorney General's office. I flew down to DC last week and interviewed for the position. Yesterday, I got a call saying that I got the job…"

Ryan glanced at Rick, surprised that he was taking this as well as he was. Esposito folded his arms and stared at Kate. "Congratulations. So, when do you leave?"

"I don't. I said I got the job, I didn't say I took it. You guys are here. My family is here. My life, my home, is here. My fiancé, who just so happens to be the love of my life, is here. I'm not going anywhere".

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say fiancé?"

Rick nodded. "She did indeed. After we closed that last case, we met and I asked her to marry me".

Kate smiled, raising her hand to reveal the engagement ring on her left ring finger. "And, after telling him that I turned the job down, and that… I'm pregnant… I said yes. And last night, he asked me to move in with him".

As their friends congratulated them, she felt his arm slip around her waist, and she subconsciously snuggled into his side, resting her head on his shoulders. "Thank you, Rick" she breathed.

He looked down at her questioningly. "For what?"

She took a second to consider what she was about to say. "For this. For our life together. For everything you are to me, for everything you have been and for everything you have done for me. Just... you changed my life, Rick, and I can never express how grateful I am for that. Thank you for waiting for me".

His arms immediately tightened around her, though not enough to be uncomfortable, and he pressed a kiss to her forehead, responding "You've changed my life too, Kate. In so many ways. You were worth waiting for".

And in that moment, Kate Beckett knew that she had never felt more content.


	3. Inevitable

**Just because you guys are awesome, here's an update for you.**

**Disclaimer: Yeah... No.**

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"Do we really have to do this?" Rick asked his fiancée as he lifted a hand to knock on the door of Captain Gates' office.

Almost before he could, however, the older woman opened the door herself, nodding slightly to them in acknowledgement. "Detective Beckett. Mr. Castle. I just finished a very interesting call. Could you come into my office please?"

Kate and her fiancé glanced at each other, Castle silently gulping. Beckett nodded. "Of course, sir"

The couple followed the Captain into her office and stood opposite her as she moved to the other side of her desk. "The Deputy Director of the FBI called, Detective Beckett. He said that you turned the job down?"

Kate squirmed slightly under the Captain's intense glare, and Rick gave her an encouraging smile, squeezing her hand slightly with his. Swallowing, Kate nodded. "That would be correct, sir"

"Any particular reason why?"

The Captain's voice was calm, measured, as she posed the question. Kate and Rick glanced at each other momentarily before Kate spoke again. "New York is, and has always been, my home. My family and friends are here. My life…" she paused mid-sentence to glance briefly towards the writer, who merely smiled at her in support, and squeezed his hand lightly before continuing. "Our life… is, and always has been, here. I almost threw it all away a year ago by not listening to Rick when he asked me to step away from the Orlando Costas case, and by lying to him about remembering what he said to me the day of my shooting, and I am never, ever, making that mistake again. The job offer was a fantastic opportunity, it's true. But it was just not for me. Ever since Rick and I first met, he's changed the way I see things. He's broken down the walls that I'd built around my heart, helped me to see the light whenever it felt like I was lost in the darkness of my own mind. He's changed my life for the better, helped me to see that there's more to life than work. He means everything to me, and I can't just walk away from that to start a job in DC, no matter how great an opportunity it would be for me".

The captain nodded. "I see. Mr. Castle, would you mind giving me and Detective Beckett a couple of minutes alone please?"

Rick smiled slightly. "Of course. I'll be right over by your desk, Kate. I'm not going anywhere, I promise"

"I'll hold you to that" Kate said quietly.

Rick walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. Almost as soon as he had left, Gates sighed, gesturing to the empty seat next to Kate. "Take a seat, Detective".

Kate did as she was asked, curious as to what her boss wanted to speak to her about. "What's up, sir?"

"Are you absolutely sure you want to stay in New York, Detective?"

Kate smiled slightly. "Yes, sir, I am. Also, I just wanted to let you know that Rick and I are moving in together. Amongst… other things"

The captain gave the younger detective an appraising glance. "I think I can guess what those other things might be. Congratulations, Detective, to both you and Mr. Castle. On both your engagement and your pregnancy"

Kate's mouth dropped open. "Sir? How… How did you know?"

"The way you hold yourself has changed. It's not overly obvious yet, but your right hand is subconsciously drifting closer to your stomach, almost as if you can't stop yourself from wanting to rub or touch it. Therefore hinting at you being pregnant. And there is also a diamond ring on the ring finger of your left hand that wasn't there yesterday, indicating that Mr. Castle proposed to you and you said yes. Do remember that I was a detective before getting to where I was now" Gates responded calmly.

Kate smiled sheepishly. "It's true. Rick and I met by the swings in the park once we closed that last case, he proposed to me, and I told him that I had got the job and that I was pregnant"

"Again, congratulations to both you and Mr. Castle. And for what it's worth, Detective, I'm sure the two of you will be excellent parents".

The unexpected compliment surprised Kate. "Thank you, sir. That really means a lot to me".

Gates smiled slightly. "You're welcome. Now, go. And tell your fiancé that I don't want to see either of you here for the rest of the week. Take some well-deserved time off to celebrate your engagement properly, and I'll see you both back here bright and early on Monday morning. Is that understood?"

The detective raised an eyebrow. "Sir? Does that mean that you're happy to allow Castle to continue to work with us on cases, even though we're engaged?"

Gates winked. "Consider it an engagement present. Now, get out of here. Go celebrate".

"Yes, sir. See you on Monday, sir".

And with those words, Kate stepped out of the office and closed the door behind her before heading over to her desk, a smile playing across her features. That had gone so much better than she had expected it to.

**There!**

**Do you think we can try to get five more Reviews before I post a new Chapter? Please?**


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